I remember being on the receiving end of some wise advice about helping your family develop strong, lasting bonds. The advice was something like, “Make traditions a part of your family’s story. These traditions will be things that bond you over the years even when they’ve left home.”
Noted. Implemented.
So, what do traditions look like in our home? Some are elaborate and some are simple, but all of the traditions we do together have the same effect. They have bonded us through shared experiences and memories that keep returning, year after year.
Apple Pies at McDonald’s
Yup, it’s that simple. At $1 per pie, it’s a cheap way to spend some quality time together after our Wednesday night church activities. Food brings out conversation in a way that’s like salve to a mother’s itching ears. I’ve heard more about their day, experiences, thoughts, and opinions over food than I have in any other setting. The question after every church night is, “Can we get pies?” So I’m assured that at least once per week I get some decent conversation from my three boys.
The Sound of Silence
We pull in the garage and shut the door behind us. We turn off the vehicle and sit together in the quiet until our ears “ring” with the sound of silence. Once someone says, “I got it,” the game is over and we all hop out giggling and chuckling. Silly, simple, and totally ours, this tradition will probably carry on for generations.
Burning of the Books
Sometime after the end of the school year we burn our books. Okay, not the textbooks or reading books or resource books or even ANY book really. We burn the workbooks and consumables that have been recorded for posterity and can be properly disposed of. The boys love fire, and somehow, throwing a year’s worth of math sheets on a fire is somewhat therapeutic.
Pheasant Hunting at Thanksgiving
Every November, the day after Thanksgiving, my boys (at the age of 12) get to go pheasant hunting with their grandpa, uncles, and dad. Before they get to carry a gun and shoot the birds, they’re allowed to walk along as guides (at age 9). Each of my boys has waited with eager anticipation to meet these milestones. This will be the first year they each get to go along, two as guides and one as an actual hunter. I’ve also started using the meat from the hunt as a key ingredient for Christmas pot pies. Two traditions for the price of one! The boys are filled with pride when they come home from their hunt having had special bonding time with their other male relatives, and they feel equally as proud having provided a necessary portion of our Christmas dinner.
Christmas Jammies
We started getting our kids special Christmas pajamas about six years ago. Along with the other Christmas traditions we’ve developed, receiving Christmas jammies is one of our kids’ favorite moments on Christmas Eve. We line the kids up on the couch, ask them to close their eyes, and then place the snuggly duds in their arms. They are always pleasantly surprised at what we’ve found to fit their personalities and interests of that particular year.
Memorial Day/Labor Day
Every Memorial Day weekend we head to my parents’ house. Every Labor Day weekend we spend in Okoboji with my husband’s side of the family. The kids look forward to both weekends and the set of traditions each trip has in store. While at my parents’ house they always look forward to feeding the ducks at the pond, a trip to the castle at Eagle Point Park, and riding grandpa’s 4-wheeler. Our trip to Okoboji always promises cousin time, catching frogs, tube rides, and dinners over the campfire.
[…] are a million traditions that families can adopt to increase bonding opportunities—traditions in the kitchen and for heading back to school, traditions during holidays and […]